


The Ghost of Arthur Pendragon

by thewritersblock0904



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur talks some sense into Merlin, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hopefully this provides resolution in a snese, Merlin lets his heart out, Post-Episode: s05e13 The Diamond of the Day, ghost au, he just really misses his best friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21837784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewritersblock0904/pseuds/thewritersblock0904
Summary: Arthur visits Merlin after he runs away from Camelot. Merlin is appropriately freaked out.
Relationships: Gaius & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	The Ghost of Arthur Pendragon

**Author's Note:**

> This is supposed to be a fix-it of sorts. I feel like there were some unsaid things that our heroes just didn't get the chance to say, so this is them being honest. I hope you enjoy!

_“When are you coming back, Merlin?” Gaius asked, concern leaking into his voice._

_“I don’t know. I just - I just need to leave. I can’t be here,” Merlin stated, his voice softening to a whisper as he stuffed the few belongings he had into his bag._

_“I can’t be here, Gaius. I can’t be here because I have no purpose here. Arthur’s dead. I watched him die in my arms. He was my destiny and now- now he’s dead.”_

_“I understand, Merlin, more than you could ever know. But do you think that this is what he would’ve wanted? For you to flee?”_

_“It doesn’t matter what he wanted, Gaius! He’s dead! He’s gone! Our king, my best friend, my_ destiny _, Arthur Pendragon is dead! So please, Gaius, just leave me be, let me go,” Merlin proclaimed, his heart growing heavier by the second._

_“If that is what you wish, then I cannot stop you. But I warn you, my boy, if you continue to push everyone away and run then you will have nothing in this world. Nothing and no one at all.”_

Merlin woke up in a cold sweat. It’d been a month since he left Camelot. Been two since Arthur… well, since Arthur left his servant, his _friend_ even, to survive on his own. And in the month since he left his former master’s kingdom, he’d never felt more alone. At least in Camelot he had Gaius and Gwen, but Merlin knew he couldn’t return. He deserved his self imposed exile. He had let Arthur die, he didn’t save him. At the very least that act required him to be exiled for treason, or something. Every night since he’d left he was haunted by his last conversation with his mentor. That, or his last memory of his King. Both unwelcome thoughts. 

Merlin struggled out of his makeshift cot in the forests near Avalon.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to hunt? You’re a hopeless hunter when you don’t look like death,” said a voice Merlin thought he’d never hear again.

Merlin turned in the direction of the voice and nearly fell over himself when he saw who spoke.

“Really, Merlin? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Arthur said, with a smirk.

“You- you can’t be here. You’re dead, I watched you… I watched you die,” the young warlock choked out.

“Well, you wouldn’t be wrong. I _am_ dead. And you did watch me die. But, here I am. Talking to you.”

“No, no, no. You are _not_ here. I must be dehydrated or _something_ , because you are not real.”

“Oh, come on, Merlin. You’re a _sorcerer_ , for crying out loud. You’re telling me that you don’t believe in ghosts?”

“Oh, trust me, I believe in ghosts. I just don’t believe that _you’re_ a ghost. I have bad luck, but not that bad of luck. A hallucination, figment of my imagination, definitely,” Merlin stated while tripping on a fallen log.

“Gods, Merlin, why must you be so difficult? Even in death you’re managing to annoy me,” Arthur complained.

“Oh, shut up, you prat! If anything you’re the one annoying me to death!” Merlin yelled while struggling to sit on the log.

“Okay, there we go! Now, all you need to do is get back to Camelot.” 

“No,” Merlin said, his voice leaving little room for argument.

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Arthur said, clearly flustered at the thought that Merlin just told him _no_.

“I mean what I said. No. I am not going to let a _hallucination_ tell me what to do.”

“I thought we already went over this. I’m not a hallucination. I am not a figment of your imagination. You do indeed have terrible luck. Now, Camelot needs you.

“Camelot is much better off without me. I can assure you that,” Merlin said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Arthur sat down next to him on the log. “What is that supposed to mean? ‘ _Camelot is much better without me_ ’?”

“It means that I let you die, Arthur. Camelot lost its king and it’s all my fault.” Because that was the truth of it. If Merlin had just been honest with Arthur from the start about what he knew about Mordred and magic and all of it maybe Arthur wouldn’t have died like he did.

“How the hell is it your fault that I died? People die. It’s what we do. You couldn’t have controlled that, Merlin.” Arthur was looking at him straight in the eye with the same expression as when he had told Merlin that no man was worth his tears. Ironically, that expression caused tears to well up in his eyes.

“But I failed you. You died, Arthur. In my arms. I saw your last breath escape your chest. You died with only me to witness it. You didn’t get to say goodbye to Gwen, or Gaius, or any of your men. I saw my destiny fade right before my eyes, and I could do nothing. The horrible part of it all is that I could’ve saved you. I could’ve told you that I had reason to distrust Mordred, or that I had magic. We could’ve come up with a plan to defeat Morgana before she gained so much power. If I had told the truth you wouldn’t be dead. You would be in Camelot with your wife presiding over your kingdom. But I didn’t do those things, and you aren’t sitting on your throne. I am the last thing that Camelot needs. I destroyed it.”

They sat there for a minute in silence. There were no words to be said. As far as actions go, Arthur did come up with a response that involved pushing Merlin off the log, face-first into a puddle of mud. Arthur flipped him and stood over him.

“Oi!” The warlock exclaimed.

“You did not fail me, Merlin. You did what you could to save me but there just was not enough time. You and I both know that. As for telling me about Mordred, we both know that I would have never believed you. How would you have explained it? That it was a ‘gut feeling’ you had that told you he was trouble? We both know that would not have worked. As for telling me about your magic, that would have gotten you killed and me dead sooner. I would have executed you, Merlin. I _hated_ magic, part of me still does. And if you died, I would have died soon after. Did you not save me repeatedly using magic? Yes, I believe you did.”

Arthur crouched down close enough that Merlin felt a whisper of his breath. “You did not destroy Camelot. Morgana and Mordred tried to, and maybe they did succeed with killing me, but not you. You can help heal Camelot, however. Camelot needs you. Gwen needs you. Gaius needs you. I need you to help them because I cannot. I may have been your destiny, but Albion was mine. Help them finish what _we_ started. Please, Merlin.”

“I don’t know if I can. Everywhere I went I saw you. I went to the market, remembered when you tried to kill me with a mace. Dining hall, I recalled when I had to dress up in that ridiculous manservant uniform. I couldn’t walk into the throne room without expecting you to be sitting there. You haunted every hallway, every room, every alley, every street, everything. I can’t go back to that.”

Arthur pulled Merlin upright. “You have to. As my best friend, I don’t trust anyone else to do this for me. You have to go back. You have to help them. You hate that I died? Well, make sure I never do. Make sure I live in their hearts and minds. Make sure that Albion is reunited, and make a few legends about me along the way. That way I will never die. That way whenever someone walks the streets and halls they see me as you do. _Please_ , Merlin.”

Merlin stared at the king’s face, every word seeming sincere. “Fine. I will. But only for you.”

“Thank you, old friend. Not just for this but for everything. I am… grateful that I have had a friend like you, Merlin,” and with that, he faded into the scenery. He was gone again.

It took everything in Merlin not to fall apart right then and there. But he didn’t. He packed his things and started making his way back to Camelot. Back to his family like Arthur had asked.

Merlin already failed Arthur once, he would be damned if he failed him again.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave kudos and comments if you liked what you read. If you have any constructive criticism just let me know.


End file.
